It’s always fun when because of someone talking about a certain movie that they just saw or whatever it turns to a different but still related conversation. Recently I had one about the best movie opening shots/scenes (or towards the beginning) you have ever seen. I just wanted to mention it on the blog and get other people’s favourites. Here is some of mine:

Blade Runner - A movie that took me a whopping 4 times to appreciate and now I LOVE it. And even when I HATED it I still really loved the opening shot. The overview shot of the city with the explosions and the close-up of the eye (BEAUTIFUL!).

Donnie Darko - We open with the view off the top of a mountain road, we pan over to a guy lying on the road with his bike next to him. He gets up (after presumably sleeping there all night) turns towards to the camera, a sly smirk comes on his face and he walks away and the words DONNIE DARKO come on the screen in front of the sky. Don’t know why I love that shot so much.

Once Upon A Time In The West - This may be actually a bit of cheat because with this I am referring to the first 5 minutes. The three cowboys commandeering the train station and waiting for the train to arrive. One of them sits with his hat slightly over his face, with a fly annoying him. The eerie silence and tension is fantastic (and cheers to Kurt for encouraging me to see this masterpiece).

Memento - The ULTIMATE film for playing around with the plot order. And the opening shot (which is actually the end of the story) of Guy Pierce standing there after having just killed somebody and then it reverses to the picture he tok going back into the camera, the gun flying back up into his hand and the guy he just shot coming back to life. It’s a crazily effect movie with that shot opening it perfectly as far as being in tune with what the rest of the movie is like.

Reservoir Dogs - One of my all time favourite scenes in one of my all time favourite movies. Tarantino as Mr Brown explaining the meaning of “Like A Virgin” by Madonna. And of course Mr Pink not tipping the waitress. Classic and hilarious.

Okay those are just some of mine but what are yours?

     A couple of days ago I came across a top 100 list Andrew had created on his MySpace page about facts about him. And I was thinking of doing the same. But then I thought it would be more fun to do a “top 100 movie facts about me” list and post it on the ever diverse Movie Patron Blog as opposed to the now irritating MySpace. I won’t do a 100 all at once, I will opt to do 10 every few days, adding to the list as I go. So hopefully I will have 100 in a few weeks. So here goes - the first 10 movie facts you may not know about me!

1. I have yet to see Jaws.

2. I was one of the few who LOVED Death Proof.

3. I am in the minority in not thinking all that much of the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

4. I have only ever seen one documentary (film) in my entire life – guess which one!

5. The first movie I remember watching was Evil Dead at age 3.

6. I tend to love ‘weird’ films i.e. Donnie Darko, Lynch flicks etc.

7. I never saw Citizen Kane until 2007.

8. I dislike movies set steeply in the Scottish culture i.e. Braveheart, Trainspotting etc.

9. The only “type” of film I have never seen at least one of is a ‘Bollywood’ film…and I probably never will.

10. My favourite genre of movie is Crime/Gangster.

     While bored at work, I spent most of the afternoon revamping my Top 100 films list of all time. You can see the list at any time by clicking on the “Top 100″ button near the top of any page on MoviePatron. But I’m posting it on the blog today for commentary. As written on the Top 100 page, there are some preliminaries regarding this list:

     These are my personal favorite top 100 films of all time. Now first of all, I do not necessarily consider these to be the “best” films of all time. They are simply my favorites. Recently MP contributor, John, made a list of 100 films he’d want with him on a desert island. A good idea I thought. This is sort of my version of that list.
     The list was put together fairly simply. In the fall of 1999, I created a list of all the films that I could remember seeing in my lifetime using “Videohound’s Golden Movie Retriever” book. By going through that list (of about 2000 films at the time), I created a sublist of possible contenders for the all time 100 list. I came up with about 160 films, I then weeded out the extra sixty films (which included “Sixth Sense,” “E.T.,” “Blade Runner,” “Wall Street,” “Good Night and Good Luck,” “Blazing Saddles,” “The Game” and many others), and proceeded to rank the remaining 100, which is the list you see here. I try to update the list about every year and a half or so to account for new films I’ve seen and older ones that I’ve lost some interest in.
     Lastly, realize that these are my favorites of all time; therefore, there may be some films that are included in this list simply for nostalgic reasons or because they remind me of my childhood. Also realize that aside from maybe the top 20 films, the others could move up or down a few spots on any given day, depending on my mood.
     Lastly, lastly, this list does not include the Star Wars saga; which is automatic, as the greatest story ever put to film. And no, I did not forget The Godfather, I just don’t see the greatness in it; or Taxi Driver for that matter.

So, without any further ado….I give you…Andrew’s favorite 100 films…see them all!!!!

100) Natural Born killers
99) The Abyss
98) Face/Off
97) Dazed and Confused
96) Glory
95) Silence of the Lambs
94) Starship Troopers
93) Snatch
92) Desperado
91) Monty Python and the Holy Grail
90) Breakfast Club
89) Back to the Future
88) Terminator 2
87) Weird Science
86) Black Hawk Down
85) Titanic
84) Multiplicity
83) Mr. Mom
82) Fantasia 2000
81) Braveheart
80) Forrest Gump

see the rest of the list by unwrapping the text…
UNWRAP TEXT or SHOW **SPOILER**

     So today as I went through my daily movie-website visits I came across Total Film’s list of The Greatest Directors Ever. The directors are listed from 100 to 1. Each is given a nickname and dedicated a paragraph on his/her work, and it’s decided what his/her best film is.

     As I go through the well planned list I notice a couple noteworthy inclusions. Sofia Coppola, for example, makes the list at #99, a talented and promising underrated director who’s latest film Marie Antoinette I consider one of last year’s best.

     I scroll further down the list and I’m more or less satisfied and as I get to the top ten I say to myself: “Alright! Antonioni has yet to come up. He must be in the top ten.” At times severely underappreciated, Antonioni generally makes top 100 lists but rarely makes the top ten. I scroll down further: Kubrick, Welles, Fincher (what? at number 10?!?!?!), Bergman, Coppola, Spielberg, they’re all there. And so I’m expecting Michaelangelo Antonioni any minute, and to my total surprise not only is he not in the top ten, he hasn’t even been included on the list! Abel Ferrara sits happily at 100 while Antonioni is nowhere to be found.

     Sure there are other directors they forgot. They remember contemporary directors such as Baz Luhrmann, Ferrara, and M Night Shyamalan but forget the likes of Alejandro González Iñárritu, Alfonso Cuaron, Wes Anderson, and two-time Palme d’Or winning Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne? They include Hollywood blockbuster machines Bryan Singer and Tony Scott but leave out classic filmmakers Charlie Chaplin and Alain Resnais? As is the case with any such list (the recent OFC Top 100 comes to mind), some deserving candidates will get lost in the shuffle.

     But these otherwise egregious oversights pale in comparison, fully eclipsed by the total ignorance of leaving out one of the 20th Century’s brightest and most important artists. Antonioni’s films are just as, if not more, important to cinema history than the films of Welles, Bergman, or Coppola; much less George Lucas or John Woo (both included).

     Personally this terribly obvious oversight strips away any and all validity Total Film’s list at one point held.

     Well, summer movie season is pretty much over with. Now it’s the time of year for true cinemaphiles to smile. The kids are back in school so we can see movies that make us think and drop our jaws. But wait, was the summer season that bad? My initial reaction was yes, it was. But after looking back, there were some real gems over the past 4 months. Let’s have a look…

     It all started with Spider-Man 3. Oops; off to a bad start, let’s continue with just the good ones.

28 Weeks Later (4/5 stars) - A most triumphant sequel to Danny Boyle’s 28 Days Later. Fast, exciting and Zombies! The first 15 minutes is worth the price of admission alone. Great follow up to an already great movie.

Bug (3.5/5 stars) - This little film that did nearly zero at the box office and had more people walk out of during the screening than any other movie I’ve ever seen was actually borderline spectacular. Judd proves she can act and the entire premise is something intriguing and annoyingly itchy at the same time. NOT a creature feature, but one of the better “close quarters” films I’ve seen with great performances all around.

Mr. Brooks (3.5/5 stars) - Another surprise that didn’t do so well at the box office. It’s nothing overly spectacular, but I’m a big Costner fan and to see him playing a darker role was a real delight. The back and forth exchanges with his darker, alter-ego played by William Hurt was not only fun in terms of the dialogue, but the way the idea was portrayed and how it was delivered really worked well in an original fashion.

Knocked-Up (3.5/5 stars) - Very funny. But I was dismayed about the fan boys over reaction to it. It wasn’t that great.

Paris je’Taime (4/5 stars) - Maybe not technically a summer film as I saw it rather late, but who cares? It made it’s wide release in the states in June and was one of the most enjoyable experiences I had at the theater all summer.

Ocean’s 13 (4/5 stars) - Almost as good as the first film. Just as much fun and Soderbergh is back in top form. A real comeback after the crap that was Ocean’s 12.

Day Watch (4.5/5 stars) - If every big budget, effects bonanza was as good as Day Watch, I would stop complaining about three-quels and the entire nature of the summer blockbuster season. This is how action/effect films should be made always!

Ratatouille (3/5 stars) - Though I didn’t like it as much as everyone else did, I still found it rather enjoyable and it obviously has captured the hearts of critics everywhere. Wonder why it didn’t do as well at the box office? Oh yeah, because I’m right and it’s not funny enough, not aimed at children (as it should be) and focusses far too much on humans instead of fantastical beings (like cars, toys, monsters, fish, etc).

Once (4.5/5 stars) - Probably my favorite movie of the year so far. Charming, delightful, beautiful, artful and most of all, tremendously musically inclined! If you don’t like this movie, chances are I don’t know you.

A Mighty Heart (4/5 stars) - Raw, emotional power that is shot extremely well and likely gives Angelina Jolie the chance at another Oscar. It’s depressing, but fascinating and captivating as well.

Rescue Dawn (5/5 stars) - The only perfect film I saw this summer. I could honestly not find one fault through the entire picture. I’m not even much of a Werner Herzog fan… I am now.

Sunshine (4/5 stars) - Though not without its flaws, Sunshine delivers on almost every level during the first 90 minutes of the film. Unfortunatle it falls apart after that, but the first part is good enough that it’ll be worth a purchase come DVD release day. Too bad too, because hed the ending been changed, this had a good shot at a 5 star effort.

The Bourne Ultimatum (4/5 stars) - Even though it’s exactly the same as the last movie, almost step for step, it is still the best action movie of the year and rip-roaring good time. You also won’t find a much better cast as this.

The Simpsons Movie (4/5 stars) - Funny as hell. Laugh and then laugh some more. It’s basically one long episode, but who cares? It’s almost 20 years in the making and it delivers in spades.

Superbad (4/5 stars) - Finishing off the summer season we end a pretty high note (unless you consider Rush Hour 3 to be the end of summer season). The Apatow crew delivers again with a hilarious teen comedy. You don’t have to be a teen to appreciate this one. Everyone will laugh; including you.

     So that’s it. 2007 Summer wrap-up. Though there was definitely some shit out there, looking back at this list, I’m happy to report that my knee-jerk reaction was incorrect. It wasn’t so bad was it?

     Jonathan over at Cinema Fusion just pointed us to a really cool collection of Top 10 movie lists by Directors, Critics and Stars over at Combustible Celluloid. I thought it would be fun to take their lists and come up with a combined Top 100 Movie List.

     I’ve combined all the lists in excel and sorted by number of times each movie shows up. They are ordered 100 down to 1 and sorted alphabetically when there are movies that had the same amount of votes. I’ve also included the number of times that each movie shows up.

     I actually find this list quite interesting. There are some similarities to the AFI top 100 but there are also some serious differences.

*One final note. I also didn’t spend the time modifying the votes. A few people voted for Godfather and some others voted for Godfather 2 and then there were 6 people who said Godfather 1 and 2 as a choice. The list isn’t perfect but its fun to look at none the less.

UNWRAP TEXT or SHOW **SPOILER**

08.19.07

     Quite often in films, there is a chase sequence. Most of the time it involves a couple of cars - the bad guy trying to get away from the good; or vice-versa. Sometimes it is more than one car (Italian Job) and other times there aren’t even cars involved at all, but trucks, ships or something else entirely. Here are my ten favorite chase sequences:

10) Terminator 2: Judgement Day
- - The T-1000 drives a semi truck off a bridge in an effort to kill John Connor who is frantically trying to escape on his little 100cc dirtbike through the dried up spillways of Los Angeles. Luckily Arnie saves the day on his Harley. Nothing overly special; just an exciting scene utilizing unique vehicles and characters in an equally unique environment. This is pure diesel power at 100 MPH.

9) The Matrix Reloaded
- - The high speed chase down the expressway is VERY fast and very intense with some pretty interesting characters that help make the chase that much more memorable. Major crash ups with a lot at stake. The only thing keeping this from being higher on the list is the obvious use of too much CGI. Had it been more “real”, it’d be higher on the list.

8) The Bourne Supremacy
- - The way Greengrass is able to pull this off in such a believable manner is fascinating. It’s not as intense because it’s so much fun to see the camera inside the car and its passenger as it takes massively huge hits from oncoming and side traffic.

7) Deja-Vu
- - This chase isn’t even really a chase. It’s easily the most original and innovative car “chase” I can think of. Denzel is chasing a guy that was there 102 hours ago using advanced, “see into the past” technology. It’s a total mind trip and exciting as hell. Especially given what is on the line. One of the best sequences of 2006.

6) Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
- - The mine shaft chase on carts. So much fun, because they can’t steer and they can’t slow down. Some track missing? Tough luck, you’ll have to jump the tracks. With agents of death hot on their trail, Indy has to be as innovative as ever to get away. Did I mention they’re riding over molten lava?

5) Raiders of the Lost Ark
- - Once again Indy finds himself in a tight spot and must be innovative. And innovative he is in one of the most iconic images of the decade… maybe ever, as Indy goes UNDER the moving truck to come up safe on the back end. Yeah.

4) The French Connection
- - It’s been a while, but I remember the chase through NYC; weaving and dodging traffic and the narrow lanes beneath the L trains as Hackman tries desperately to keep up with the fast moving train in his Pontiac GTO. Some narrow misses and near death for a baby in a stroller made this one a chase to remember.

3) Bullitt
- - My dad told me to watch Bullitt for the car chase, so I did. Man, he was right. Through the streets of San Fran over those huge hills, Steve McQueen and his speed machine gets some serious air. Not the best chase ever, but it probably was at the time. And damn cool it is.

2) Return of the Jedi
- - To this day when I ride my parents’ 4-Wheeler through the woods at top speed I recite lines to myself from the speeder bike chase in Jedi. How fast do you think they’re going in that movie? 100? 200 mph? Maybe more? Impossible with all that foilage and those huge trees of Endor, but no less of a thrill.

1) Ronin
- - Wow. This sequence seems to just go on forever and the speed at which DeNiro drives through those narrow streets is absolutely gripping. I remember my teeth nearly breaking as I gritted my jaw together so tightly and I kept looking for the seat belt on my theater chair. The most exciting and well choreographed chase scene I’ve ever seen. Brilliant.

honorable mention must go to Ben-Hur. It’s not a chase sequence technically, because it is a race, not a chase. Still, it’s exciting and gruesome as hell. I still have seen nothing like it to this day. I would’ve paid top dollar back in the day to watch a chariot race like that.

     I just realized that it’s been a while, a long while actually, since I posted a new Top 10 List. Stealing a page from a recent filmspotting episode and with the very recent love of Once, and with the newly generated OFC top 100, I thought I’d put together my top 10 favorite films about music. These are not musicals (with one exception), these are movies that are more or less about music in some capacity. This list is compiled from a “nominee” list of 22 films that I’ve seen that are about or relating to music. Here they are:

10) The Blues Brothers
- An instant classic with Aykroyd and Belushi in ther prime. Fun as hell and Carrie Fisher looking f.i.n.e.

9) Hustle and Flow
- As much as I hate hip-hop/rap, this movie struck me pretty hard with some great performances (I’m a Terrence Howard fan for life now) and one of the best scenes of that year - the first recording session of “It’s Hard Out Here for a Pimp.” Which was ripped by people for winning the Oscar, but those people didn’t see the song in context of the film. It was amazing.

8) Fantasia 2000
- Saw this on the IMAX screen and was blown away. Love all the songs and the animation is beautiful, cute and heartwarming. Rhapsody in Blue, the flying whales and Donald Duck in Noah’s Ark being personal favorites. It’s just a gorgeous film - betters the original.

7) Moulin Rouge
- Here’s the one exception. Not a lover of musicals AT ALL! But this one struck me as different. Baz Luhrman’s directing style is autier enough to keep me interested; but what really makes the film fun is the fact that almost all of the songs are renditions of popular tunes. Every band ever was represented here (Nirvana, Poilce, Madonna, U2, Elton John, and on and on and on).

6) Walk the Line
- Johnny Cash has been one of my favs since I was a little kid. And Reese and Joaquin made it absolutely come alive with spectacular performances (including their amazing singing voices that sound just like Cash and Carter). It’s toe tapping the whole way through.

5) High Fidelity
- My first brush with Jack Black and of course Cusack is great as always. Wonderful little performance from Todd Louiso as well. As a teenager, I probably spent more time in the record store than I did at school and if you’ve seen this film, you might find it fitting that this movie is coming in at #5 on my list (and I swear I didn’t plan it that way).

4) This is Spinal Tap
- The original “mockumentary.” Absolutely HYSTERICAL.

DAVID: “I do not, for one, think that the problem was that the band was down. I think that the problem may have been, that there was a Stonehenge monument on the stage that was in danger of being crushed by a dwarf.”
or
NIGEL: “It’s like, how much more black could this be? and the answer is none. None more black.”

3) The Pianist
- OK, admittedly this one is a bit of a stretch as being about music, but Brody plays a pianist and it’s the memories of music that keep him going. An absolutely fantastic and powerful film (Polanski’s best in my opinion - though I haven’t seen them all). I saw this three times in the theater.

2) Once
- We’ve talked about this ad nauseum on this site. I ADORE this movie to death and can’t wait to see it again. One of the ten best of 2007 (maybe even in the top 5 by year’s end). Another hidden gem that everyone should seek out. If you don’t like it, you’re not only wrong, but cold hearted as well.

1) Almost Famous- In my top 20 movies of all time. From the dialogue to the beautiful shots to the great acting by all around (Macdormand, Hudson, Crudup, Lee - back when he had a decent career, and the fantastic cameo of Phillip Seymour Hoffman as Lester Bangs). It’s also a great coming of age story set in the world of the 70s rock phenomenon.

It also has maybe my favorite scene of all time of any movie ever: The band and all the roadies and “band-aids” have a huge fight and everyhing looks like it might fall apart. The next day when they’re driving through the countryside on their bus is a transcendant scene. One guy starts singing Elton John’s “Tiny Dancer” out loud, but softly to himself. Soon, someone else joins in and then another and another until the whole bus is singing joyously in unison… bloody fantastic. It truly almost brings a tear to my eye just writing about it. Everything bad in the world just goes away with a little bit of good music and friends.

     So there you have it. My ten favorite (not necessarily best) films about music. I had a nominee list of about 25 movies and cut it down to these final ten. What do you think? Did I miss any or am I wrong about any?

     The Online Film Community’s Top 100 project is finally complete and ready for viewing! Check it out and make sure you see them all.

What:
The OFC Top 100 was the brain child of Jonathan Burdick of CinemaFusion and was meant to be a nie alternative to other top 100 lists out there. We weren’t trying to show anyone up or make a “definitive” list. It was mostly just something fun that the online movie community could get together on and see what comes out. It was loads of fun and we’re happy it worked out so well and we’re thrilled on the turnout on the number of voters and sites participating.

How:
It started with just a nominations list by each writer of 100 titles that they’d like to nominate for the list; using whatever criteria they so choose. All titles that were nominated at least three times were then put on one large list of over 500 titles. From this larger nominations list, each writer chose 100 films, ranked them in order from 100-1 and then a point system was applied to each list (#100 = 1 point, #99 = 2 points, #98 = 3 points and so on). The film with the highest number of points after the tallying was completed became our #1 movie of all time, and the next largest point getter became #2 and so on and so on.

     So thanks again to Jonathan on getting this all put together. It was loads of work and we all appreciate it and it seems to have turned out quite nicely. I’m pretty happy with the list as I scan the titles. A few titles left off that I’d like to have seen and some that shouldn’t be there, but it’s a nice alternative list with lots of great entries. Kurt and I will discuss the list a bit on this week’s Cinecast (episode 57).

The List:
100 Nosferatu (Murnau, 1922)
99 Cinema Paradiso (Tornatore, 1988)
98 On the Waterfront (Kazan, 1954)
97 Blue Velvet (Lynch, 1986)
96 Reservoir Dogs (Tarantino, 1992)
95 His Girl Friday (Hawks, 1940)
94 Lord of the Rings, The: The Return of the King (Jackson, 2003)
93 Toy Story (Lasseter, 1995)
92 Notorious (Hitchcock, 1946)
91 400 Blows, The (Truffaut, 1959)
90 Ghostbusters (Reitman, 1984)

to see the full list and names and sites of contriutors, just unwrap the text…
UNWRAP TEXT or SHOW **SPOILER**

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     I was looking for an interesting topic to post about and Andrew suggested that I look at similar movies that are released shortly after each other. I figured how hard could it be, sure there are probably a few examples. I thought of about 5 or so right off the top of my head. We’ll after some searching I discovered that Hollywood really enjoys releasing similar movies. This isn’t a definitive list but it shows just how many times this has happened. The one that is bold is the one that I think is worth seeing (there are a few where I haven’t bolded either or have bolded both).

Flushed Away (2006) and Ratatouille (2007)
I’ve seen Flushed Away and I actually really enjoyed it once it got past the initial childish humour. I really think it is a shame that Aardman and Dreamworks aren’t going to be continuing as partners as Flushed Away is way better than the newest Shrek movie. Rataouille isn’t out yet but it is a Pixar flick and that means it will be good.

The Black Dahlia (2006) and Hollywoodland (2006),
Both were released only a week apart
and while I didn’t really mind The Black Dahlia it was a bit too slow and just didn’t tell a real interesting story. Hollywoodland on the other hand did an excellent job of keeping me entertained and told a very good story. If you can only see one check out Hollywoodland.

Over the Hedge (2006) and Open Season (2006)
I don’t care what anyone says I actually hate Open Season and it is solely for the point that I disagree with the G rating it received. At one point the hunter is running around with a huge buck knife trying to hack the deer to pieces. Now I don’t mind my 4 year old seeing bug bunny type humour but the violence was too real to him and I it ruined any enjoyment I might have gotten from it. Over the Hedge was a half decent CGI movie. It didn’t rank up their with Pixar work but it was still good enough to keep me amused and my son enjoyed it.

Turistas (2006) and Hostel (2006)
I have no intention of ever seeing Turistas. I saw Hostel and I actually enjoyed it a bit. The reason I enjoyed it wasn’t because of the sex or the violence but because of how the main character acted in the end. The twist ending was interesting enough that I can recommend it.

Get Rich or Die Tryin’ (2005), and Hustle and Flow (2005)
I haven’t seen either movie but I am tempted to see Hustle and Flow simply for the music. I loved the soundtrack for Black Snake Moan and I’m curious to see if Craig Brewer scores it as well as he did for BSM.

The Exorcism of Emily Rose (2005) and Requiem (2006)
Here are another two movies that I haven’t seen and I don’t really have an opinion on either.

Happy Feet (2006) and Surf’s Up (2007)
Surf’s Up isn’t out yet but it looks kinda cute so I’ll probably watch it with my kid. Happy Feet annoyed me with its bizarre message during the second half. If something is cute then it is worth saving otherwise who cares about destroying the environment. I enjoyed the first half but the second was just weird and with its message it is hard for me to recommend.

Flight 93 (2006) and United 93 (2006)
I haven’t seen either yet. I’ve purchased United 93 on DVD so I guess that would be the one I recommend and I know Andrew will second the recommendation and he has actually seen it.

The Illusionist (2006) and The Prestige (2006),
Both were released in 2006. Andrew is going to be annoyed with me for this but I enjoyed The Prestige much more than I did The Illusionist. The magic in the Illusionist just seemed to fake. It really needed to explain how he magic worked for me plus I also hated the ending. Both myself and the person I was with comment on how we were both waiting for the big Kaiser Soze reveal. The Prestige on the other hand told a great story about obsession. The magic was all explained well even even if it isn’t really possible and I thought the twists were excellent. Every time I thought I had figured it all out something else happened which made me realize that I was close but off by just a bit.

Capote (2005) and Infamous (2006)
Capote is worth watching for Phillip Seymour Hoffman alone. I can’t say much more in a comparison since I’ve yet to see Infamous.

Æon Flux (2005) and Ultraviolet (2006)
I don’t plan on seeing either and I think I’m better off for that plan.

Madagascar (2005) and The Wild (2006)
I’ve seen both and other than the Penguins in Madagascar both movies have left my memory. I guess that means both of them weren’t that good but they also couldn’t have been that bad.

Sky High (2005) and Zoom (2006)
I don’t really want to see either of these Super Hero comedies and to tell you the truth I’m somewhat dreading when my kid gets older and wants to see these bad live action comedies.

The Cave (2005) and The Descent (2005)
I know that both are movies about monsters in caves. I’ve seen The Descent and highly recommend it. I love the feeling of claustrophobia it creates. I’ve never seen The Cave as the reviews were enough to keep me from wanting to.

Elektra (2005) and Catwoman (2004)
I hate to say it but I’ve seen Elektra. I really want those 90 some minutes back and if I got them back I can guarantee I wouldn’t be using them to ever watch Catwoman.

Garden State (2004) and Elizabethtown (2005)
I’m pretty sure I should see these. I’m not sure why since I don’t know too much about them but I’ve heard the names enough that they must be good.

Home on the Range (2004) and Barnyard (2006)
Here are another two forgettable CGI movies. About the only thing I really have to say is that I love how all the cows in Barnyard are male and female. Why confuse the kids with adding Bulls into the mix? I guess if you have to see only one of them check out Barnyard for the dancing creature.

Finding Nemo (2003), Shark Tale (2004) and Shark Bait (2006)
Finding Nemo is an wonderful CGI movie, actually change that I think its a wonderful movie overall. I rank it right up there with Pixar’s best. Shark Tale was meh and I’ve never heard of Shark Bait till now.

Phone Booth (2002) and Liberty Stands Still (2002)
I really enjoyed the concept of Phone Booth. I can’t say I was sitting on the edge of my seat the entire time but at least the concept was cool. I have not see Liberty Stands Still. I’ll go with a mild push towards Phone Booth till I either see Liberty Stands Still or hear something good about it.

Mission to Mars, Red Planet, and Ghosts of Mars were all released in 2000 and 2001
The first two of these are totally blending together for me and I haven’t seen John Carpenter’s Ghost of Mars so I don’t really want to recommend any of these. If you want to check out a cool Mars movie I’d point you to a mini series from back when I was a kid. I can’t remember the title of it but all I remember is that when the astronauts arrive at Mars they find their dead relatives living there. I’ll see if I can track down what it was and truthfully it was probably pretty bad but at least I have one memory from that show.

Dark City (1998), The Thirteenth Floor (1999), eXistenZ (1999) and The Matrix (1999)
Skip The Thirteenth Floor and watch the rest. They are all good. Dark City is cool noirish science fiction, eXistenZ is Cronenburg and Matrix is just good dumb fun science fiction.

The Truman Show (1998) and EdTV (1999)
I didn’t really enjoy The Truman Show and I’ve never seen EdTV so I’d say go watch Dark City.

A Bug’s Life and Antz, released in 1998
I really enjoyed the retelling of Seven Samurai using bugs. I can’t remember a single thing about Antz (other than I think Woody Allen is in it) so go with the Dreamworks flick.

Deep Impact and Armageddon, released in 1998
I hated Armageddon and never saw Deep Impact so go see Dark City.

Sliding Doors and Run Lola Run, released in 1998
Run Lola Run is one of the classic culty type movies I love showing people who haven’t seen it before. It is a great movie about the impact of a single small event on the day of a woman. Sliding Doors just did not interest me at the time. Am I wrong should I be checking it out?

Elizabeth and Shakespeare in Love, released in 1998
My wife enjoyed Shakespeare in Love and I thought it was good. For some reason I just never wanted to see Elizabeth. Personally though I think the hype Shakespeare received was a bit more than it deserved but its still a pretty good movie.

Saving Private Ryan and The Thin Red Line, in 1998
I’d really suggest seeing them both. I think the first 20 minutes make Saving Private Ryan worthwhile. The rest is good but no where near as good as the beginning. Thin Red Line is a much more complicated better told war movie in my opinion. If you can only see one see Thin Red Line but I think everyone should see the opening of Saving Private Ryan at least once.

Dante’s Peak and Volcano, released in 1997
Guess what, I say skip them both. I haven’t seen either and I don’t think I’ll ever spend the time watching them.

Independence Day and Mars Attacks, two alien-invasion movies released in 1996
These two are totally different type movies. Independence Day pretty much takes everything I despise about big summer blockbusters and does them all perfectly. Mars Attack is a fairly amusing take on the whole alien b-movie from the 50s and 60s that I have fond memories of. No I’m not that old but I used to watch them late night on TV.

Babe and Gordy, released in 1995
I think everyone will easily say that Babe is the better movie. I think James Cromwell performance actually steals the show from the animals. I really should buy Babe actually.

Twister and Tornado!, both released in 1996
Did I really enjoy Twister, no not really except for the flying cow. Tornado! really just came across as a rip off of Twister and since that movie didn’t really do it for me I don’t think I’ll ever check out the lesser version.

Tombstone (1993) and Wyatt Earp (1994)
I know I’ve heard that Tombstone is a good movie but I seriously can’t remember it. I think I’m going to revisit is in the near future. I don’t really remember Wyatt Earp but I know I’ve seen it also. I don’t think it receives the praise that Tombstone does so I think I’ll just leave it at that.

1492: Conquest of Paradise and Christopher Columbus: The Discovery, released in 1992
Another two movies that I’ve seen but can’t remember much about. I think I’ll go with 1492 because it doesn’t have Tom Selleck as King Ferdinand.

Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves and Robin Hood were both released in 1991
I’m sorry I sort of like Prince of Thieves. Its one of those guilty pleasure type movies for me. The Robin Hood with Patrick Bergin just fades into memory for me. It was okay but nothing special. Although, if I was really wanting to watch some good Robin Hood action I’d check out the BBC TV series Robin of Sherwood from 1984. It combines the story of Robin Hood with Pagan mythology in a cool way.

Lambada (1990) and The Forbidden Dance (1990)
I’m sorry, dance movies just aren’t my think so if you want to see one feel free too see them and then let me know which is better.

Platoon (1986), Full Metal Jacket (1987) and Hamburger Hill (1987) all featured US soldiers in Vietnam during the Vietnam War. Later, Born on the Fourth of July and Casualties of War were released in 1989

The Abyss, Deepstar Six, Leviathan, The Evil Below, and Lords of the Deep were all released in 1989
I’ve actually seen Deepstar Six and Leviathan and I can say compared to The Abyss they are terrible. Of course I don’t really consider The Abyss to be a monster movie which is more of what Deepstar Six and Leviathan are. I’ve never seen The Evil Below or Lords of the Deep. I’m am interested to see the director’s cut of The Abyss with the alternate ending. I’ve heard it is a much better ending.

The Secret of My Succe$s (1988) and Working Girl (1989)
I haven’t seen either. I’ve heard some good things about both. I think